Bush Airport Terminal B to remain closed through Tuesday due to partial government shutdown

TSA workers are among about 30,000 federal employees in Houston on furlough or working without pay.

Author:
Marcelino Benito, Brandon Scott

Published:
5:27 PM EST January 13, 2019

Updated:
5:29 PM EST January 14, 2019

HOUSTON — The TSA security checkpoint at Terminal B is closed at Bush airport and passengers are being routed to either Terminal C or E, the airport announced Sunday.

Terminal B is scheduled to remain closed through Tuesday, the airport system announced.

The shutdown is due to staffing issues from the partial government shutdown.

It's unclear how many TSA workers called in sick, but these workers are among about 30,000 federal employees in Houston on furlough or working without pay.

If you have a flight, the airport recommends you allow extra time and check here for wait times.

Officials with Houston's Airport System released the following statement Sunday about the closure:

Due to staffing issues associated with the partial shutdown of the federal government, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoint and the ticketing counter in TerminalB at George Bush Intercontinental Airport closed at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, and will remain closed the rest of the day.

Flights scheduled to depart from Terminal B will operate as normal. Passengers with flights scheduled to depart from Terminal B are being directed to the ticket counters and TSA checkpoints located in Terminal C and Terminal E.

Passengers are encouraged to arrive early and give themselves extra time to check in for their flights and to clear the security checkpoints. For passengers flying out of Terminal B, once checked in passengers can walk or take the Skyway tram to Terminal B to reach their departing gate. Passengers can utilize the interactive terminal map available on fly2houston.com to help navigate their way back to Terminal B. That information can be found at this link.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the closure is related to the government shutdown, tweeting in part, "Shortage of TSA workers, unpaid during the US gov’t shutdown, is causing this change."